BBC World Service doesn't play

[Lilahsmom]

For the past few days, every time I ask my Nest Mini to play BBC World Service, it plays WXXI News instead. I've tried rebooting my phone, the Nest speaker, and my wifi. I've listened to BBC World Service for years on this speaker.

I am out of ideas. Please help!

[JohnVan]

just got bbc world service on the nest hub again. I am in The Netherlands

[cifuentesj]

Hi @Barcaseven,

Thank you for the timely responses and the information provided. Please follow these previous steps:

• Uninstall and reinstall Google Home and TuneIn radio apps.

• Unlink your radio services on the Google Home app:
  • Open the Google Home app.
  • Tap your account in the top right.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Under Services, tap Radio.
  • Tap the radio service you want to unlink.
  • Tap Unlink.
• Link your radio on the Google Home app:
  • Ensure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network or account as your Google device.
  • Open the Google Home app.
  • Tap your account in the top right.
  • Confirm that the Google account is the one linked to your device.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Under Services, tap Radio.
  • Select the radio service you want to connect.
• Unlink on your TuneIn app:
  • Click the menu in the top right of the screen.
  • Click Favorites.
  • Click the three dots button on the station you want to remove.
  • Click Remove.
• Link on your TuneIn app:
  • Go to the Broadcasters section of TuneIn.
  • Click Add a Station.
  • Fill out the form with your station's details, including the stream URL, broadcast information, and logo.
  • Check the box to agree to the Terms & Conditions.
  • Click Sign Me Up.

Furthermore, if the issue remains, proceed with the next steps.

• perform a factory reset on your Google Home device, you can follow the steps in this article: Factory reset Google Nest or Home speakers or displays

Let me know how it goes. 

Warm regards,

Jeremy.

[zombiesaaargh]

And what about those of us who never had tunein installed. I always got this through bbc sounds and want to continue to do so. 

[Barcaseven]

Hi Jeremy. No it won't work. Please see https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9566187?hl=en-SG

Google Home users outside US do not have 'Radio' as an option in Google Home--which then raises the question why you sell it outside the US. Any further solutions please? I'm in Singapore.

[zombiesaaargh]

I'm using Spotify and bbc sounds. At no time have I ever used tune in.

[zombiesaaargh]

Please, no more canned answers.

Could we have a human being and not a bot. 

[Jenf]

It is nothing to do with TuneIn. BBC world service used to work on bbc sounds until last Tuesday. You said hey Google play bbc world service and it would open in bbc sounds like every other bbc radio station. Now when you say this it opens kqed radio station on TuneIn. I am in the uk bit other people in other parts of the world have this opening and some have other random stations opening not bbc world service. The only get around I have found is to ask Google to play uk world service South Asia and this opens in TuneIn and not bbc sounds. It is an issue between Google and bbc sounds. Nothing to do with TuneIn. I did report it to bbc sounds last week and others in another group did too but I have not heard anything and have been checking current issues on the bbc sounds website and there is nothing. To me who is not technical thinks the configuration has been changed and Google is not picking bbc world service on bbc sounds app. I have an alexia as well and there are no issues playing the world service through nbc sounds on this. 

[Barcaseven]

Up till 15 Oct 24 Tue for me too, the same instruction BBC World Service--worked. It worked for 2.5 years. It never said it played it off TuneIn or Spotify--so I'm assuming (along with most here) it came off BBC Sounds. I tried everything at the time, reinstall Google Home, reset speakers etc and nothing worked. In my investigation I found last Tue, 15 Oct 24, coincided with when I saw BBC WS disappear off TuneIn--hence the suspicion there's a connection. It's not relevant really. Just information I hope will get Google to solve this. I have voice instructions for 'Play BBC World Service' work with Sonos. I haven't tried Alexa.

[zombiesaaargh]

How do we elevate this from a community specialist who is only able to give out canned advice to a full Google tech support agent who can access Googles systems and fix the problem.

No offence to volunteers who try to help, but we're not having a problem that can be fixed by anything that we can do at our end 

[cifuentesj]

Hi folks,

Your feedback is the heart of what we do here at Google. I am truly grateful that you took the time to share your thoughts with me and follow the troubleshooting instructions. Your insights will help to create even better products and services. Please consider sharing your thoughts directly with our development team through this feedback form. Your input will help us prioritize features and ensure that we're meeting the needs of our diverse user base.

Thank you for being such a valued member of the community. 

Best regards,

Jeremy.

[Jenf]

but will Google fix the issue so that we can play bbc world service through bbc sounds???? There is no one to ring and everything is done online but nothing gets fixed. Is someone actually looking at the problem?? 

[zombiesaaargh]

Fix the problem?

So far they haven't even acknowledged that a problem exists. Just look at what they're saying, have we rebooted our devices, have we tried reinstalling the software, they still try to make out that the problem is on our phones or with our settings 

[zombiesaaargh]

Enough with the bots, can we please have a real person. 

[zombiesaaargh]

Any update on this? 

[Barcaseven]

Hi Google--we'd like a reply. What's going on? What's the result of the forms submitted? Can you refund me?

[zombiesaaargh]

We're still waiting on the refund for stopping device to device calling.

It took them months to even adm5that the earlier problem with the media sleep timer was deliberate and not a bug. 

[Nikku]

I have the same problem, it plays KQED from Tunein!!

Have tried all the solutions on the WWW to no avail.  Help! Please

[Barcaseven]

Hi All

Two things.

Solution--As one contributer mentioned, say 'UK World Service South Asia.' It works for now but it's clumsy and will sometimes send you to a band on Spotify that's also called World Service.

Complaint--see the reply by cifuentesj 22 Oct 24. There's a form to fill out. It hopefully goes to Google Devs. I've written my feedback as a Complaint. Do the same, build the numbers.

Overall, Google's customer service is pretty poor. We've only received bot replies and even then, inaccurate ones (only Google Home in US has a link to Radio). I'm really disappointed. Fortunately, I've got it working on Sonos. I heard it works on Alexa--I may try. Google also cut combining speakers with Sonos and it stopped playing items off NAS a long time ago. With how they've managed customer service here, and so much loss of functionality, vote with your wallet.

[JCKe]

It seems that you are not alone. I regularly (used to!) listen to the BBC World service but not anymore. Since yesterday when I ask any of my Google speakers to play BBC World service I too am redirected to WXXI News. The Google service via my smart speakers is getting progressively worse in recent times. Getting BBC World service is not the only problem. In the last week or so I have difficulty getting BBC Radio 4, when I ask Google to play BBC Radio 4 it gives me BBC Radio 1, although I can see the correct instruction i.e BBC Radio 4 on my speaker screen as I make the request! Every now and again it gets it right, like just now, 1212hrs (Ireland) and coincidently the item being discussed is the "Google Search Engine" and the recent legal case concerning Google and the EU Competion Authority. Perhaps they are reacting to bad publicity from BBC!!!

[zombiesaaargh]

Same problem with radio 4 here. The text on screen says radio 4 but it goes to radio 1.

100 percent a problem at Googles end not ours. No amount of turning it off and back on again will fix this. 

[Nikku]

Thanks to all who have responded, very useful and the post reference Sonos made me think about my Alexa speakers.

Problem solved!

Swapped the Google Nest speaker in my Bedroom with an Alexa speaker that was given to me for free.  Plays the World Service no problem, I don’t even have to say BBC.  I am in the UK.
 
The Google Nest speaker is a real phaf at the best of times, so I will not buy any more of their Tech.  Likewise Apple, a wee iPad is my only concession to that, as it’s so convenient to use.  And please don’t get me started on my ‘loss’ of Classic Outlook.  Or even worse the demise of Hard Talk.

[zombiesaaargh]

Good for you.

Unfortunately it doesn't resolve the fact that Google has stopped responding to this thread. Let alone them not admitting to the existence of the problem. 

[Danodonnell]

Me too! I need help

[Jenf]

It’s back working! Just tried it and it’s opened in bbc sounds! Let’s see if it lasts!!

[JCKe]

I can confirm that you are correct Jenf!  I am in Ireland and both the BBC world service and BBC radio 4 appear to be back to normal i.e. a simple instruction "Hey Google play BBC world service" or "Hey Google play BBC radio 4" is all that you have to say once more. Of course no explanations or apologies from anyone in Google. Hopefully it lasts...fingers crossed!!!

[Jenf]

Google have been silent! I cannot even let the users know on the community site post as they locked the replies/comments on this the other day! 

[zombiesaaargh]

I really don't understand why a company as big as Google can't simply keep us up to date with things like this.

They obviously changed something at their end which broke the system, and now they've fixed it, but they're not even acknowledging that it happened.

If this were Twitter Musk would probably have personally tweeted about this by now.